Detachable sole-guard.



F. E. SEALE.

DETACHABLE SOLE GUARD. APPLICATION HLED AUG-27,1918.

Pate11ted- May 6, 1918.

Gnome 1w: mum's PETERS ca. [mom-L1 FREDERICK ERNEST SEALE, OF TORONTO, ONTAEBIO, CANADA.

DETACHABLE SOLE-GUARD.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Application filed August 27, 1918. Serial No. 251,611.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ERNEST SEALE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Sole-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to improvements in detachable sole guards, and the objects of my invention are: first, to provide a sole guard, preferably flexible in its nature so as to allow for the bending of the soles of the boots worn by machinists, and whereby the soles of the boo-ts are prevented from coming in contact with the metal shavings on the floor so as to protect the same from undue wear; second, to provide attaching means for the device of such a character that the samewill adjust themselves to different sizes of boots, and third, to construct the attaching means for the device so as to prevent any uncomfortable pressure being brought to bear against the toes in the boots Further objects of my invention will appear in the following part of the specification, in which I shall describe my preferred form of device.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my sole guard. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is chiefly a longitudinal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, like characters of reference refer to the same parts.

The guard comprises a metal plate A, preferably flexible in nature, which forms the sole of the device, and suitably carried by the front end of the guard is a toe-cap B, also made of metal. The preferred means of attaching the toe-cap to the sole A is to provide the forward end of the sole with an upturned-flange C to which is either brazed or riveted the toe-cap B. As shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, the said toe-cap is formed to overhang the toe of the boot. The said toecap is also preferably formed to embrace each side of the toe of the boot so as to assist in preventing the lateral displacement of the sole A during use. For this purpose the toecap is provided with the side-wings D.

The preferred form of attaching means is constructed as follows: E is the bar of a substantially 'U-shaped coupling, which bar is mounted in a turned flange F formed at the rear end of the sole A. Gr are arms formed at each end of the bar E, and the same are provided each with an eye H. I is a frame formed of a flexible wire. The rear ends of this wire are bent at an angle as shown at J to form arms which are provided with eyesK to couple withthe eyes H. The forward end of the frame I is secured to the lip L of the toe'cap B by any suitable means such as a turned-flange M. Carried by each side of the sole A are lugs 2 and 3 to which are connected the arms 4 and 5. The upper ends of these arms support the frame I. j The foot is placed in the guard so that the sole A will be positioned under the sole of the boot (not shown), and then the strap 6 (which is coupled at one end 7 to one of the arms J of the frame I) is passed around the backof the foot, and the other end of the strap is passed around the other arm of the frame I. Bymeans of the hook 8 carried by the free end of the strap 6, co-acting with the eyelets 9, the guard is secured in place.

The arms land 5, as well as the frame I, are

sufiiciently flexible so as to yield to pressure exerted by the strap J, and thus it will be understood that while the sole A may be wider than the sole of. the boot of the wearer, the flexibility of the parts mentioned will permit the guard to be worn on boots of different sizes, within reasonable limits.

Upon referring particularly to Fig. 2, it

i will be seen that the arm 4 is shorter than the arm 5, which is curved. The purpose of making these two arms of different heights is to avoid troublesome pressure of the same against the foot. The arm 4 will exert pressure against portion of the great toe, but not sufliciently to be uncomfortable, whereas the arm 5 will exert pressure against that portion of the boot which is not immediately filled by the toes. This construction ermits the wearer to use the guard without t e same exerting uncomfortable pressure at any point against the foot.

If desired, a plurality of metal plates 10 may be attached to the underside of the sole A at suitable intervals.

From the foregoing specification, it will be understood that my device, while durable, will not be unduly heavy, and from experience I have learned that the soles of the boots of machinists will last very much longer than they now last exposed to direct contact the scope of the appended claims. On small sized boots, it is conceivable that I may dispense with the arms 4; and 5, and their supports.

Claims:

1. A detachablesole guard comprising a metal sole; a' toe-cap at the forward end of said sole; a pair of: flexible arms carried one at each side of said sole; a flexible frame supported by said toe-cap and said arms; means whereby the rear end of said frame is coupled to said sole, and coupling 'means associated with said frame whereby the said devicemay be snugly held in position for use. 1

2. Ademoun'table sole guard comprising a metal sole; a toe-cap secured to theforward end of said sole; a lip carried by said toecap; a' pair of flexible arms carried one at each side of said sole, one of said arms being higher than the other and suitably curved; a flexible frame supported by said lip and said arms; means whereby the rear end of said frame is coupled to said sole, and coupling means'associated with said frame whereby the said device may be snugly held in position for use.- r

3. A demountable sol'e guard comprising a metal soleproyided at its forward end with an upturnedflange"; a wing-provided toecap securedt'o saidflange and projecting above said soleand terminating in a lip; a pair of flexible arms carried one at each side of said sole. one of said arms being higher than the other and suitably curved; a flexible 1 frame supported by said lip and said arms; meanswhereby the rear end of said frame is coupled to said sole, and coupling means associated with said frame whereby the said device may be snugly held in position foruse.

4. A demountable sole guard comprising a flexible metal sole; a toe-cap secured to the forward end of said sole; a pair of flexible arms carried one at each side of said sole; a flexible wire frame supported by said toe-cap and said arms; arms formed at the rear ends of said wire frame; a substantially U-shaped coupling carried'by the rear end of said sole and provided with vertically-disposed arms at each end thereof; means whereby the arms of said coupling means are coupled to the arms of said wire frame, and means associated with said wire frame whereby said device is coupled to andnncoupled from the boot.

5; A detachable sole guard comprising a metal sole; a toe-cap at the forward end of said sole a flexible frame running down each side of saidsole and supported by said toecap at its forward end; means whereby the rear end of said frame is coupled to said sole, and coupling means associated with said frame whereby the said device may be snugly held in position for use.

FREDERICK ERNEST SEALE.

copiesof'this' patent may be obtaiiie'dloi'ifive cents each,-by addressing the Commissioner of Patent.

r Washington; 10.0. 

